This chapter contains mature content. Read only if you're comfortable, or feel free to skip it.

Author's POV~

After the meeting, Kriti’s confidence faltered, and a familiar hollowness settled in her chest. Every time she entered the office, she could hear it–the faint, biting murmurs that followed her like shadows.

“She had it all easy,” they whispered. “Definitely, she’s the daughter of the CEO,” another would mutter. “Born with a golden spoon,” they all seemed to agree, convinced that every accomplishment of hers was simply a birthright, a privilege granted by her lineage.

To them, it was easier to reduce her to a label, to dismiss her efforts as if her success had been wrapped and waiting for her all along.